Canvas of a Mind

by Purba Chakraborty

What lies within?Akashi lives with her younger sister, Ipsha in Kalimpong, a remote hill station. Their tranquil life turns upside down with the arrival of a stranger in the town, who stalks Ipsha desperately. He tries to lure her by sending love notes and playing a haunting tune on his harmonica, without revealing his identity and showing his face. As Ipsha gets bewitched by him, Akashi tries to protect her from the creepy stalker. She tries to solve the mystery of the stranger and gets shocked by certain revelations. Meanwhile, she realizes that her sister has been deceiving her at every turn of the road.Why is Ipsha deceiving Akashi? And, what does the stranger exactly want from the two sisters? Will Akashi be able to save her sister from the darkness she is walking into? Or will she be shattered, knowing certain things about her sister that she had no idea about?Taut with suspense, “Canvas of a Mind” will take you on a riveting ride. Are you eager to know what lies within?

171 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2017

About the author

Purba Chakraborty is born to a Bengali family in Kolkata on 17th June, 1990. She is a content developer/writer by profession, author by passion and a blogger by choice. She has authored two books ‘WALKING IN THE STREETS OF LOVE AND DESTINY’(2012) and "THE HIDDEN LETTERS..."(2014. Many of her short stories and poems have been published in magazines and anthologies namely "Stories for your valentine" and "Fusion-A mingled flavour mocktail". She is currently working on her next manuscript.

You can read more of her writings through her blog:
www.reverieofpurba.blogspot.in

You can follow her in facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/writerpurbac...

or in twitter
https://twitter.com/Manchali_Purba

Reviews

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller is my favorite genre so when the author contacted me to review her new book, I was quite elated. This is the third book of author Purba Chakraborty, and I would like to thanks her for providing me a copy of this book.

You may read full review here Canvas of a Mind by Purba Chakraborty - Book review

Plot Summary:

Set in the beautiful backdrop of Kalimpong, a remote hill station in West Bengal, this book tells a story of two sisters Akashi and Ipsha. Akashi is the eldest and after the death of her parents becomes the sole guardian of her younger sister Ipsha.

Akashi is a beautiful, calm and hard working girl whereas Ipsha is tomboy, rebellious girl. But the character difference doesn’t come in between them and they both love each other a lot.

Everything was going fine until one day Ipsha got to know that she has been stalked by someone. She gets love notes and allured by the tune he plays on the harmonica. Ipsha decided not to tell anything to Akashi as she starts loving him.

Being a soul sister Akashi got to know everything and she finds that this stalker is not good for her sister. But a moment comes when Akashi got to know that Ipsha is deceiving her and she has no idea what to do next?

Who is the stalker? Why he comes in the beautiful life of these sisters? What he exactly wants? Why Akashi finds him a threat? Why Ipsha deceives her elder sister? Is there anything else in this story which Akashi doesn’t know? Cleverly written, this book takes you to hidden persona of the human.

My perception:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This must be the simplest psychological thriller. There are very few characters, but the author has amazingly evolved the story around them. The narration of Kalimpong is simply beautiful. When I started this book, I have not thought that this would be so wonderful. Each chapter starts with a beautiful quote which is something worth to read. The mystery is really jaw-dropping. I also enjoyed reading the sisterly bond between Akashi and Ipsha. With amazing plot, narration and the mystery ‘Canvas of a Mind’ is a perfect read, which you should not miss!

[Kiran Acharya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canvas of a mind is a taut mystery that keeps you glued. I read the entire novel in one sitting. 17 year old Ipsha has a stalker. He sends her love notes, and plays melodious tunes to gain her attention. Ipsha starts falling for him, in spite of herself. Her elder sister, Akashi, wants to save her from the clutches of the stalker, but discovers that Ipsha’s lies cover secrets far more dangerous than the mysterious stranger.

Canvas of a Mind is full of twists intermingled with beautiful description of Kalimpong. Ipsha with her dreams, insecurities, and rebellious streak resembles a real teenager. Akashi’s concern for her sister is very relatable. Still, I thought the final resolution was a bit rushed.

I recommend Canvas of a Mind to all those who love psychological thrillers.

You can read my detailed review Book Review: Canvas of a Mind
* I received a review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Adv. Vandana Choudhary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canvas of Mind is a psychological thriller and the story revolves around two sisters Ipsha and Akashi. Akashi loves her younger sister Ipsha the most and after the death of their parents, she takes care of her sister like a mother. She is a caring sister and a true friend. They are living a happy life but the then the story takes a turn when a stranger starts stalking Ipsha. She is unware of his motive to enter in her life. She starts hiding things from her dear sister Akashi. Akashi comes to know the truth and she protects her sister from the stranger. You'll have to read the book to know how she goes out of the way to save her sister. I am sure you too will enjoy reading interesting turns and twists in the story.

I enjoyed reading the book and I could very well relate to the beautiful bond that Akashi share with her sister. I loved the writing style of Author Purba. The language used is simple and the title of the story is apt. I liked the attractive cover of the book. I would recommend this book to all readers and would rate it 4/5.

[Kishor Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the beautiful background of Kalimpong, Canvas of a mind, by Purba Chakraborty is a quick and decent read.
The story is about two orphaned sisters living together in Kalimpong. As the elder sister, Akashi, is faced with a shocking breakup with her boyfriend, Vihaan, and draws into herself, while her younger sister, Ipsha, is stalked by a mysterious man. The man sends her loves notes, and woes her by a haunting tune on harmonica, while playing hard-to-get. The story revolves around Ipsha and the mysterious man for a while, until Akashi learns about this and tasks herself in learning the true identity of him while protecting her sister.
Overall, it was a fine read. Refreshing, engaging, quick read. Interesting plot, with fine characters, and well-paced. Recommended to all readers who wants to read a short, romantic thriller.
Read full review here: https://goo.gl/wq1o6A

[Anmol Rawat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally finished Canvas of a Mind in two sittings (could have been one except I was too sleepy in the the first one). Loved the entire concept of the story and found the revelation shocking. Purba has beautiful woven the relationship of Ipsha and Akashi, which, I believe is the protagonist of the story. I also liked the subplot of Akashi and Vihaan. Overall, a riveting read with surprising turns that kept me turning the pages.

[Sayantoni Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read a more detailed review on my blog :
www.wordscantfathom.wordpress.com

The story narrates a wonderful and loving tale of two sisters, who mean the world to each other. They are orphans, but they have taken good care of themselves amidst friends, and caring neighbours. Akashi and Ipsha share a strong bond that is quite envious.

I loved how the story starts with a little introduction of their happy lives, while the prologue is unimaginably in contrast to that. It evokes a thought in the reader’s mind to learn what happened or how that happened. So naturally, I kept reading intently in between the lines to sketch a thorough understanding of how things turned out to be the way mentioned in the prologue.

And then the arrival of the stranger was yet another thing to watch out for. He comes like a wind, kicking up mystery dust all around him. So while you can feel his strong presence in their lives, you can’t see him. I loved this mysterious element. And then suddenly, when you were expecting the least, the stranger comes into the light out of nowhere. So there’s an element of surprise as well.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it to thriller junkies, because this book will definitely satiate your appetite. Canvas of a Mind is a suspenseful thriller, and believe me everything will make super sense once you reach the climax. You are in for a little surprise, because the ending is unexpected.

[Vidhya Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written and it holds reader interest throughout. A simple Language with appropriate content and properly plotted book it is. How Akashi never lost faith and stood by Ipsha's side forever. Vihaan and Akashi's unbreakable bond is also beautifully described. We never know what a person is actually suffering from until we go to the depth. This is the simplest psychological thriller. A neat, clean and beautiful plot with the awesome narration of every character. How she managed to keep suspense till the very end.
With amazing mystery ‘Canvas of a Mind’ is a perfect read, which you should not miss!

[Arti Honrao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the review here:
http://www.artihonrao.net/2017/09/rev...

[Zoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

🕵‍♂Hidden Persona: A psychological Mystery

Canvas of Mind is a psychological mystery novel set against the backdrop of a remote hill station Kalimpong.
Characters involved in this novel are:
1. Akashi
2. Ipsha
3. Vihaan
4. Arjun

✔️This book is plotted into 28 different chapters and each chapter started with a beautiful quote which allows you to get a blueprint of each chapter. And each chapter has a unique story with full of suspense.

👭🏻Both Akashi and Ipsha were the two sisters who share an inseparable bond and both are extremely different from each other.
Akashi is responsible, resolute and has a helpful nature. On the other hand Ipsha is a born Rebel and always against the idea of pleasing everyone.
People adore Akashi very much and are very fond of her as compared to Ipsha.

😲The story mainly revolves around the boy called Arjun- a mysterious stranger, who stalks Ipsha by sending the love notes to her and Ipsha falls in love without knowing anything about him.
🤷🏻‍♀‍The life of Two Sisters started turning upside down with the arrival of this mysterious stranger Arjun.

💁‍♀Akashi- An elder sister of Ipsha and a good friend, lover of Vihaan who broke up with her. Akashi and Ipsha are orphan as they lost their parents in a car accident. She loves her younger sister a lot and took care of her as a guardian.

💁‍♀Ipsha- she is an artist who loves to draw Canvas and a younger sister of our Akashi. Ipsha is suffering from chronic psychosis where her mind has lost contact with reality. She had suffered many traumas. The death news of her parents took her to the first trauma and the 2nd trauma which leads her to post traumatic schizophrenia (the chronic stage) was- when she saw her lover Arjun (a strange stalker) died in front of her eyes.

🕵‍♂Arjun- stranger stalker who was sending anonymous love notes to epsha proclaiming his love for her and also, he play melodious tunes to gain her attention. He is the servant of a powerful man Mr. Basu who is involved in many illegal activities. Arjun work for him as he wanted money desperately.

I finished the book in one reading and I couldn't stop myself in knowing that what could be happened next. The way Purba had portrayed each chapter with the new thriller keeps me turning the pages. It left me a little surprised because the ending was very unexpected and it leaves me with emotional shock after I finished the story.

❓❓❓❓
Why is Ipsha deceiving Akashi? And, what does the stranger exactly want from the two sisters? Will Akashi be able to save her sister from the darkness she is walking into? Or will she be shattered, knowing certain things about her sister that she had no idea about?
Why he comes in the beautiful life of these sisters? What he exactly wants? Why Akashi finds him a threat? Is there anything else in this story which Akashi doesn’t know?

✔️Cleverly written, this book takes you to hidden persona of the human.

✔️With amazing plot, narration and the mystery ‘Canvas of a Mind’ is a perfect read, which you should not miss!

✔️The writing is refined, the narration in exceptionally beautiful.

I wish Author Purba a good luck and wish she keeps writing such masterpieces on and on and drape us in the charm of her weaved fiction forever.

[Chetan Maheshwari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing...Was the first reaction as I finished this book. After a long time I grabbed a love story, and was ecstatic that I chose this one. The riveting story coupled with a nail-biting twist and intriguing narration is the USP of the book. 
Let me tell you, the first thing that I liked about this novel was the names of the main characters -Akashi and Ipsha. The story is of these two sisters who have lost their parent in childhood, and live by themselves in Kalimpong. Apart from dealing with their love interests, the story revolves around the bonding and relationship that the two sisters share in their life .
It takes pace when a stranger follows Ipsha and leaves down mysterious love notes for her. Wooed by these alluring love notes, she gets attracted to the stranger and falls in love with him. 
But will Ipsha be able to flourish her love with a stranger, and sustain her strong bond with Aakashi all together?
 
“Nothing further...This is no spoiler, you have got to read the book”

It is a very compelling book, and I finished it too soon. I prefer reading in gaps of time and sometimes I drag a book for weeks or a month, but this book didn’t let me do that and kept me off the hook with its gripping tale. Though, in between it looked to be a bit of a bollywood lovestory but then the ending will change your entire impression about the book. I like books which surprise me at the end and this is one of them.

Why I chose this book?
I recently started reading books from Indian authors (took a halt for some years), and indiblogger introduced me to the author-Purba Chakraborty. I liked her writing style, the title of the book was unique, and it already had nice reviews so I grabbed it.

Who should read this book?
It is a psychological thriller in the backdrop of a love-story, and can be a very good weekend-read or a travel-buddy. All those who like good narration, love-story and psychological thriller can pick this book with no second thoughts.


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[Rahel H Rajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Canvas of a Mind" (Novel) - Purba Chakraborty

"Canvas of a Mind" is an amazing psychological thriller which revolves around the story of two sisters, Akashi and Ipsha whose peaceful life gets disturbed by the entry of a stranger who stalks Ipsha. Akashi and Vihaan tries to solve the mystery of the stranger and to protect Ipsha which ultimately leads to certain revelations which forms the soul of the novel. What does the stalker really wants from the two sisters? Get your copies and start reading to find out.

As I am a die heart fan of fantasy and addicted to thrillers, this novel was a great match to my taste. The mystical nature of the story was the main thing which invoked my curiosity. While reading the novel, I felt like I am travelling through another world where I was able to see the gorgeous Akashi, the rebel Ipsha without their knowledge and to enjoy the beauty of their hometown Kalimpong. I am a person who tries to predict the twists of the story while reading it. But trust me, "Canvas of a Mind" was completely out of my predictions. There were a lot of twists and turns throughout the novel which compelled me to read further without even taking a break.

The way in which the novelist reveals the story from different angles is really outstanding. I'll highly recommend this work to everyone who loves to read thrillers. Thank you so much Purba ma'am for giving me such a magical reading experience by gifting this gem. Expecting many more such beautiful works from your pen.

[Aditi Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review : 3.5/5

Author must have gave some thought to the title of the book, 'Canvas of mind'. It's intriguing and perfect for the storyline. As the title suggests this book has all the essence of thriller, psychology, romance, relationship and drama.

This is story of Akashi and Ipsha, sisters who are takes care of each other after the demise of their parents. Their harmonies life turns upside down when they encounter the stalker who really creeps me out while reading. Initial simple build up, comparable to a tame ascent on a steep rollercoaster once the plot kicks in the twist and turns are so fast and furious that you might not even stop to question the plausibility of the narrative. But, the storyline isn't new. This isn't something which we haven't read before but the way author narrates the story is something to look forward to.

'Purba Chakraborty' has a gift for vivid characterization, even if some things are underlined a tad too much. She also does a good job with weaving high octane moments around her characters. So you don't really twig on the plot's hokeyness to begin with as Akashi and Ipsha encounter the stalker.

[Kaushal Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

What one sees, is not always what one sees through. There are, most of the times, different point of views for the one same thing, which are influenced not by what you see, but by what you are told and least likely, which should often be considered, is what you feel.

Set in the beautiful backdrop of the Kalimpong hill station, the story mainly revolves around Akashi and her younger sister Ipsha, who is being allured by a complete stranger.

Another interesting thing about the book is that the chapters start with a particular quote, the purpose of which, at least to me, was to give a hint on what to expect in that particular chapter.

Please visit http://www.guptakaushal.in/2017/12/bo... to read the complete review of the book.

[Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Canvas of a Mind’ is the story of two sisters and their relationship. Akashi and Ipsha live in the scenic hill station of Kalimpong. Their lives are somewhat harmonious and banal till a stranger appears in town. With letters and tunes, he manages to capture Ipsha’s heart. But as the protective elder sister when Akashi tries to uncover the details of this stranger, she stumbles across some secrets that her own sister has been keeping…

Having lost both their parents, Akashi has had to assume the parental role for Ipsha. As such, Akashi matured and level headed while Ipsha still has a chance to live out her rebellious age. They have such different personalities yet the bond between them is equally deep. I enjoyed reading about their lives and watching the unique dynamic between the sisters play out. There are very few characters in the book, but they have been given just enough depth to hold up the plot.

Read the full review on Bookish Indulgences with b00k r3vi3ws